NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” is facing widespread criticism for poking fun at Tourette syndrome, with a leading charity blasting the attempt at humor as “never acceptable.”
The saga began when the BBC issued an apology last week after a racial slur was shouted by an audience member with Tourette syndrome during a broadcast of the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs). John Davidson, who has severe Tourette syndrome and was the inspiration for the BAFTA-nominated biographical film “I Swear,” was heard shouting the n-word while Black actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage.
NBC’s “SNL” lampooned the ordeal in a sketch that was cut for time, with canceled or scandal-ridden celebrities like Mel Gibson, Louis CK, Bill Cosby, Kanye West and Armie Hammer claiming Tourette syndrome caused their backlash-inducing incidents or comments.
Tourettes Action CEO Emma McNally, the head of a leading charity dedicated to supporting individuals with Tourette syndrome and their families, blasted the sketch as “not acceptable” in an email to Deadline.
“Mocking a disability is never acceptable. It would not be tolerated for any other condition, and it should not be tolerated by people with Tourette’s,” McNally told Deadline.
“Tourette’s is a complex neurological condition, of which there is no cure. It is not a joke. It is not a personality trait. It is not a source of entertainment. It is a condition that can be extremely debilitating, causing pain isolation and huge amounts of discrimination,” she continued. “Videos and posts that deliberately misrepresent or sensationalize tics set us back years. A single video can undo the progress our community has spent years building toward greater awareness.”
Tourette syndrome is a motor disorder that manifests itself in various movement and vocal tics, depending on the person.
Tourettes Action did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
“SNL” featured Gibson, who previously faced backlash for making antisemitic comments during an arrest in 2006, suggesting he should have pointed out he suffers from Tourette’s years ago.
“Hi, I’m Mel Gibson, and as I probably should have pointed out decades ago, I too suffer from Tourette’s, which explains a lot of the things I’ve said or yelled through the years,” cast member Andrew Dismukes began as Gibson. “Am I proud of what I said? No. But I am very proud for you to know that it was because of Tourette’s. Fortunately, I’m not alone.”
Others defending the sketch said it was more about mocking the celebrities therein rather than making fun of the condition. Notably, the show included “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling trying to blame Tourette’s for her stance on transgenderism, which has made her a pariah among progressives.
“SNL” was also slapped with a community note when it shared the skit on social media.
“John Davidson suffers from a very rare form of Tourettes called coprolalia in which he involuntarily, shouts out the most offensive thing possible in a situation. It is a real illness and mocking him for it is deeply inappropriate and cruel,” the community note stated.
“Saturday Night Live” did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Others scolded the NBC program on social media.
The BBC apologized after failing to remove the profane language from the BAFTAs when the pre-taped show aired last month.
